Keep Holding On
by Anjyu
Summary: Arnold has been diagnoised with cancer and fears having to go through it alone but there she was the most unlikeliest of people also facing the same thing. She couldn't promise him that he would get better, but she could promise him that she would be there until he decided to let go or maybe they would both just let go together. *songfic*
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**Author's Note: **I'm writing this fic in memory of all cancer victims out there who fight until they can't fight anymore and thus pass on. This fic is for anyone who has had cancer and lost or who knows someone who they loved that has had cancer.

Fifteen year old Arnold Shortman waited in the lunch line hoping to have time to actually eat something during his meager twenty minute lunch period. The cafeteria was crowded as usual with so many unfamiliar faces. He sighed taking a place at the far end of the cafeteria. He checked his watch and luckily he had ten minutes before the bell rang for his next class.

This was his second week of high school, and he already hated it. He just wanted to go back to the eighth grade with all his old friends. He missed P.S. 118 and this humongous new school only made it worse. Arnold wasn't too keen on change, but he knew that he had no control over it. He would be spending the next four years of his life here. He sighed stirring his soupy potatoes with his spoon. He was disrupted from his pitying thoughts upon hearing the bell ring. He hadn't eaten again today but for some reason the school food just didn't seem that appetizing to him. The funny thing was that nothing did anymore. The very aroma of food made his stomach churn. He must have had contracted some kind of virus.

He decided to stop by the nurses office to see if she had any crackers and ginger ale for his stomach, but he had to stop several times because he kept feeling dizzy. The faces of the other students wandering the halls seemed to be in slow motion. He knew that he was already going to be late for class, but he was beyond caring about school for the day. He didn't feel like himself and by the time he reached the nurses office, he felt like he had walked ten miles.

"Mr. Shortman are you feeling okay?" the nurse named Mrs. Evans asked him as he struggled to walk to the small cot set up in her office.

"I'm fine Mrs. Evans…" he coughed smiling weakly practically falling onto the cot, but he wasn't okay. He'd never felt more horrible in his entire life.

"Oh Arnold let me get you some-" but she stopped when she seen his eyes roll into the back of his head. The last thing he heard were her frantic screams before blacking out.

~X~

He felt like someone had ran over him multiple times as he struggled to open his eyes. He slowly opened his eyes as he took in his surroundings. The room was white, and he could hear the faint sound of beeping. He noted that on his right side that he had been hooked to an IV drip.

"It's good to see you awake Shortman!" a familiar but comforting voice greeted him. He turned to his left to see his grandpa seated in a straight back chair. He smiled faintly at him, trying to take his mind off of the massive pain he was feeling in his stomach.

"Where am I grandpa?" he managed to squeak. He felt so tired that it was a chore for him to even talk.

"Well shortman you're in the hospital and well you're pretty sick it turns out." his grandpa said softly averting his gaze toward the floor.

"Well grandpa it can't be that bad! I'm sure it's just a stomach bug or something…I'll be back at school in no time I'm sure." he stated only half convincing himself, but Phil didn't say anything.

"Arnold I'm afraid you don't have a virus, and I really hate to tell you but-" but before he could finish his sentence a slightly balding man holding a clipboard walked into the room.

"Arnold I'm doctor Sullivan, and I have some things I would like to talk with you about. It seems that according to the school you've been making frequent trips to the nurses office and complaining with an upset stomach. We ran some tests and it turns out your white blood cell count is extremely high. We also found several cancer cells in your stomach. We're going to run a few more tests before we make a complete diagnosis but it turns out that you have a form of gastric intestinal cancer. I'm sorry son." he sighed hanging his head as his eyes filled with regret.

Arnold didn't say anything but instead turned to his grandfather searching his eyes in hopes that the doctor was wrong and this was one big scary dream he would wake up from. Phil just shook his head as tears threatened to fall from his eyes.

"I'll give you a few moments alone before I come back with more about your prognosis. We will also cover several treatment options as well." Dr. Sullivan explained clearing his throat heavily before leaving the room.

"Grandpa I can't-" but he couldn't finish his sentence as his body began to quake with sobs as Phil wrapped his feeble arms around his only grandson in hopes to comfort him.

"It's all right Shortman…We're going to get through this together." Phil assured him as he shed a few tears of his own.

Arnold tried to believe his grandpa's simple words with all the blind faith he had left but it all seemed like it kept slipping away from him. He felt like his lifeline had broke and that he was being pulled farther and farther away by the current. He felt like he was drowning, and he was scared of being lost within the depths.

~X~

Dr. Sullivan had returned, and they had did several more tests on him before determining that he had a large tumor growing in his large intestine. He also had several smaller tumors growing in his stomach which were all the results of not holding down an appetite.

Dr. Sullivan was positive that if they started treatment soon that Arnold could live three-seven years tops, but he said that without treatment that he would only live about a year or two at most. He only wanted his life to return to normal, so he decided that treatment would be his best option.

Two weeks later he walked into Hillwood Cancer Treatment Center. Arnold was hoping that his grandpa could come with him, but Phil was unable to because he had woken up with a virus that morning which was the cherry on top of Arnold's already horrible day.

He felt like throwing up as the nurses in the clinic walked him over to an empty table to fill out some paperwork. The questions were mainly about allergies and previous medical history along with a few papers with information about the types of treatments the clinic provided. He felt his stomach lurch at the thought of undergoing chemotherapy. The side effects sounded as bad as the cancer itself.

He sighed as he filled out the questions but was caught off guard when he heard the sound of a voice he hadn't heard in several months.

"Crimney! I told you that I'm finished with my stupid treatment so can I just go!?" threatened a female voice as the double doors that led to the treatment room burst open.

"Helga!?" Arnold said in disbelief as he watched the blond girl saunter towards the front desk to make her next appointment, but she stopped and turned around when she heard her name.

"What are you doing here football head?" Helga blinked as she approached him curiously.

"I'm here for my first treatment…What about you?" he inquired feeling relief wash over him. He was so glad to see a familiar face in this dark and scary uncertain place even if it was his arch elementary school rival.

"I just finished my last round of treatments until next week that is…I'm very surprised to see you here though." she added as she took the seat next to him.

"I have stomach and intestinal cancer Helga…I just found out about two weeks ago after I collapsed in the nurses office. I haven't been able to eat anything in months and well it turns out that's why." he sighed placing his head in his hands completely overwhelmed.

Helga didn't make fun of or taunt him but just placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her surprised by her reaction.

"How long have you had cancer?" he pined hoping that she would tell him that it was all no big deal and that the doctors just made it out to be something that it wasn't, but she didn't.

"I found I had cancer two months ago during the summer. I kept blacking out and well it turns out I have a brain tumor, but the doctor says I'm making progress. He said if I'm lucky then I could live five more years with treatment." she said stoically crossing her legs uncomfortably while averting her gaze.

"Did you come here alone?" he probed, and she just nodded. "I always come alone because Big Bob always has to work and well Miriam couldn't come to save her life because she's always in a drunken stupor. My parents still don't think it's that serious but whatever. I know if it was Olga they would slice each other's throats to get over here." she remarked rolling her eyes.

"Is it scary?" he said meekly, and she just nodded.

"It's very scary and the chemo can make you really sick, but I just try and think of my favorite things or people while I'm being treated. It takes your mind off the treatment and makes the nausea a lot better." she encouraged him, and he just smiled.

"Thanks Helga…I feel a lot better now…Um do you think I could have your phone number or something…? I mean if it's okay with you…It's just that I don't know anyone else going through this, and I could use all the support I can get." he said shyly, and she just smirked.

"Of course Arnoldo…We can both swap horror stories." she stated jokingly as she snatched the pen he was using to fill out paperwork with and grabbed his hand. She scribbled ten curly digits on his hand before handing it back to him.

"Better not wash that hand football head! I may not be so generous the next time you ask for it." she winked as she sauntered off to the front desk. He felt himself smile for what seemed like the first time in weeks. He watched as she walked out of building as he returned his paperwork to the front desk. He heard his name being called a few minutes later not feeling so alone anymore as he stared at those ten distinct digits on his hand. He couldn't help but feel excited about calling her later, but he didn't know why.


	2. Fifteen Minutes and Twenty-Eight Seconds

**Chapter One**

**Fifteen Minutes and Twenty Eight Seconds**

**Author's Note: **This story will have some sad portions in it but it will also have some beautiful moments as well. Thanks for the reviews!

Helga G. Pataki felt like she was going in slow motion on her walk home. She'd felt like she was in a dreamlike state after seeing Arnold at the clinic. She couldn't believe that her beloved was walking the same painful road she was and yet she wondered if an illness was what was meant to bring them together. She recalled the first time she ever blacked out which was a month after her eighth grade graduation.

She had been over at Phoebe's for a sleepover because her parents had gone out of town on business. She knew that Phoebe didn't like staying alone, so Helga had offered to keep her company. They had been watching scary movies when she got a terrible headache that came out of nowhere.

She remembered feeling dizzy and informing Phoebe that she was going to take some Tylenol, but she didn't even make it to the kitchen before she blacked out. She'd woken up three hours later with Phoebe by her side and Bob glaring down at her.

"_This kind of thing would never have happened to Olga." she had heard him say accusingly. _

She really had no idea how to interpret that statement before the doctor had walked in and shooed Phoebe out of the room. She'd rather he had given Big Bob the boot, but he hadn't.

The doctor had informed Helga that she had a tumor the size of golf ball on the left side of her brain and that was the reason she had been blacking out. Bob didn't seem to care and just wanted to know how much it was going to cost to fix it. The doctor seemed a bit on edge by his statement because most parents were more concerned about their children's health but not Bob. He only cared about how much it was going to cost and if he would be able to skimp on anything.

The doctor had quickly informed him that there were all sorts of treatment options available and that, they would probably need to try several to see what reacted well with the cancer the best.

Helga couldn't remember much except the doctor and her "dad" had droned on and on about her cancer and how she needed treatments to extend her life expectancy which Bob finally agreed to. She remembered after she got out of the hospital that she had gone home and cried her eyes out. She didn't cry much, but she felt so alone. She knew her parents couldn't have cared less about her. Phoebe was the only one who knew about her cancer and that's how she had planned to keep it. She didn't want people feeling sorry for her because she had a reputation to uphold and yet she secretly wanted to fall apart all at the same time. She had started high school but soon discovered that it was too much for her health. She would get fatigued very easily after about two hours of being there, so she had reluctantly gone on homebound. A teacher named Ms. Filler would come three times a week to help her catch up on her studies.

School had just started and she had already gone beyond Ms. Fillers expectations. Helga was a smart kid and took after her sister Olga even though her parents never noticed it. She worked on her school work constantly because she had nothing else to do in that big empty house. She would always ask Ms. Filler for more assignments and was already a month ahead of her peers in the curriculum.

She walked into her room and flopped down on her bed as her thoughts reverted back to Arnold. She swore to herself that she would help her golden haired boy steady. She couldn't imagine how scared he was, and Helga couldn't believe that he had wanted her support! Was he really at the end of his rope to ask for her help? She really didn't mind as long as she could be close to him.

She felt her heart beat with anticipation at the thought of him actually wanting to call and talk to her. She reached for the locket that she still carried and admired his latest school picture in it. She would be there for him because there's no way she would make him fight this battle alone. She was going to help carry him through. She sighed softly to herself as she held the locket to her chest.

~X~

Ernie Potts had picked Arnold up after his treatment because the chemo made his head swim. He felt nauseated after just an hour of treatment. He had helped Arnold up to his room and into the bed. The boarder didn't say anything to him the entire car ride but just gave him a knowing half smile.

Arnold was glad for the lack of conversation and questions. He didn't feel like to talking to anyone but one person at the moment. He decided to lie down for about thirty minutes before picking up his cell phone and carefully adding her to his contacts.

Why was he so nervous? He had fought the urge to call her for the past fifteen minutes, but he knew he had to do this. He took a deep breath before hitting the send button. He felt his heart heavily in his throat as he waited for those three agonizing rings.

"Hello?" the familiar voice greeted on the other end filling him with heat.

"Hey Helga it's me Arnold." he said shyly feeling his heart speed up for some reason.

"Oh hey there Football head! I see you mustn't have washed that hand." she stated jokingly, and he felt himself smiling even more.

"Yeah well I wanted to call and tell you about how treatment went today." he replied as he laid on his stomach admiring the fresh sunset through his skylight.

"Well how did it go then? Did it make you sick?" she asked awaiting his answer. She felt her toes curl at just the sound of his sweet voice.

"Yeah I felt some nausea, but I just took your advice and thought about something else. It also helped that you were there for me today Helga. I really appreciate it." he thanked her which made her heart skip a beat.

"Well um Arnold it's really no problem." she said feeling her throat become dry as butterflies danced in her stomach.

"Well Helga it really meant a lot to me." he gushed, and she just smiled again as a peace she'd never known before filled her senses.

"Jeeze Arnoldo don't get all gushy on me." she remarked before letting a girlish giggle escape her lips which she immediately smacked herself in response. What was with her? Arnold was going to see right through her if he kept getting more sappy.

"Helga did I just make you giggle?" he grinned now shifting to lie on his stomach.

"No that was the television." she denied hoping she hadn't blew her cover.

"Whatever you say Helga." he smirked feeling a warm feeling seep over him.

"Crimney football head! It was just the tv." Helga groaned, and he just laughed in response.

"Hey Helga?"

"Yes Arnold?"

"Do you think we could hang out sometime? I mean I would really like to talk to you more about this whole cancer thing…just not on the phone."

She felt the nervous edge on his voice, and she just smiled, "Sure Arnold when do you want to you know 'hangout'?" she laughed.

"Well I was thinking maybe tomorrow…I don't have another treatment until Friday. We could go to Slausens for some ice cream or something." he offered.

"Sure I really like ice cream." she accepted almost laughing because of the secret meaning ice cream held in her vocabulary.

"Okay so want to meet me there at eleven then?"

"Yeah that works! I'll see you at eleven."

"Well Helga I think I'm going to go…I feel kind of nauseous." he admitted.

"All right well feel better soon…See you tomorrow." she said before clicking her phone shut.

"Bye Helga."

"Bye Arnold."

She looked at her call timer and sighed. They had talked for fifteen minutes and twenty eight seconds. She placed her phone on the table feeling as if her heart might burst. Was he asking her out on a date? She wasn't entirely sure about anything at this point, but she knew one thing for sure. Things had just changed in her favor during those fifteen minutes and twenty eight seconds. She could feel it.


	3. Bond

**Chapter Two**

**Bond**

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the reviews! I don't have much to say, but I hope you enjoy the chapter!

She got there early, ten-thirty to be exact. She sat at a booth in the back beside a window. She watched as happy couples and children strolled by. She didn't hear the bell ring on the door that indicated someone had came in or even seen him when he slid in on the opposite side of her.

"Hey Helga." he greeted pulling her out of her peaceful daydream. He wore a plain green t-shirt accompanied by a red flannel shirt and blue jeans. She also noted his ratty black converse later when she bent down to pick up her napkin.

"Hey Arnold." she smiled bashfully trying to drink in the moment and realize that this wasn't a dream. Arnold Shortman, the boy she'd been in love with since she was three years old was sitting right in front of her.

"Do you want to order anything?" he inquired, and she nodded following him to the counter. He ordered a turtle tracks triple scoop cone, while she just ordered a simple vanilla one. They both went back to their booth still sitting on opposite ends enjoying their ice cream in silence.

He wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to ruin this serene moment they were both sharing, but he also didn't want the minutes to fly by without any conversation. He wanted her to know that he was glad to be here.

"I'm glad you came today." he smiled warmly attempting to make small talk.

"Um yeah me too…By the way how are you holding up after your first round of chemo?" she asked causing him to remember exactly why he was here.

"Well I feel better today, but I was up most of the night throwing up." he sighed running his fingers through his hair.

"You'll get used to it." she stated flatly finishing up her cone.

"Yeah well I start homebound studies on Monday with Ms. Filler. I'm not too thrilled about being stuck at home while all my friends get to enjoy the escapade of high school." he grumbled not feeling very hungry anymore.

"I'm also on homebound and yeah it's pretty boring, but I hope to be finished with my freshman year by Christmas. I want to graduate early." she retorted causing his eyes to bug out.

"You mean you're almost through an entire years of curriculum? How did you get ahead so quickly?" he quizzed, but she just shrugged.

"I don't have to put up with the so called distractions of high school, and I guess I just pass the time by working on my assignments. There's nothing better to do since Bob's at work, and Miriam is intoxicated." she scoffed causing a pain to shoot through his heart.

"I'm sorry Helga, but I guess I'm just not used to the idea of being sick yet." he said softly as tears threatened to fall.

"It's okay Arnold…You know I could always talk to Ms. Filler about conjoining our homebound studies. I'm sure she would be thrilled to know that she could cut her class time in half. Besides I could always help you with your work since I'm already way ahead." she suggested causing his eyes to light up.

"Helga would you really want to go to school together?" he asked in surprise.

"Of course Arnoldo! I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't want to! Sheesh!" she glared rolling her eyes.

He just laughed at her sarcastic comment before making a suggestion that almost made her jump the table, "Helga would you like to come back to the boarding house with me, so we can um talk more?" he offered with a faint blush.

She loved the soft red tinge on his boyish cheeks. "I guess I could come over football head but this isn't just some excuse to take advantage of me is it?" her eyes darkened as she almost dared him flirting.

"Of course not! Why would I!?" he had turned about ten different shades of red from her comment.

"I'm just kidding Arnoldo. Just chill." she smirked as she slipped out of the booth and made her way towards the door. He followed close behind noting her long blond hair that cascaded down her shoulders. She was also wearing a pair of snug jeans that accented her curves just right along with a pink pull over.

He watched how she walked and noted the sway of her hips. Was she taunting him? He felt his breath hitch in his throat and almost toppled over her when she came to a sudden stop. He braced himself by gripping her shoulder blades.

"Jeeze football head don't scare me like that!" Helga winced shoving him aside which caused him to blush.

"Sorry Helga I didn't mean to run into you like that!" he apologized nervously, and she just rolled her eyes.

"It's fine! Come on!" she commanded as she grabbed his hand and led him up the steps and into the boarding house. He became flustered from their innocent contact as they headed up the stairs to his room.

Helga didn't seem to notice what she'd did, so he just shook it off as she made herself comfortable on his foldout couch. He was amazed at how she knew exactly where his room was. He was probably just putting too much thought into it.

"So would you like something to drink?" he asked breaking the uncomfortable wall of silence that had formed between them.

"Yeah got any Yahoo! Sodas?" she asked, and he nodded as he ran downstairs to get them one.

She felt her heartbeat speed up at the thought of actually being in his room. She couldn't believe that brave stunt she'd pulled earlier. She couldn't believe she'd actually grabbed his hand and yet it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

"I'm back Helga." Arnold replied handing her the cold bottle.

"Thanks Arnold." she smiled as she popped it open, and he did the same.

"What should we talk about?" he inquired settling down beside her increasing her heart rate.

"Um well we could talk about-" but before she could make a suggestion a pair of warm lips had found hers. She felt her eyes pop open in response as those pair of warm beautiful lips explored her mouth. She began to feel shy, but she ignored it as she slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. They both blushed when he pulled away averting their gazes.

"Sorry Helga I didn't mean to-" but she cut him off.

"Save it hair boy!" she exclaimed silencing him with her lips once more. Arnold Shortman had no idea he would enjoy kissing Helga Pataki so much, but he felt like it lasted for hours until they both ended up on his bed staring up at the skylight.

He ran his fingers through her golden tresses as she laid her head on his chest. She smelled like vanilla with a hint of orange blossom.

"Helga how old do you think we'll be before we you know…?" but he couldn't say the word. He felt like it was taboo and if he said it then it would happen right then.

"I hope it isn't for a very long time." she responded snuggling closer to him.

"Me too…I've decided I want to spend all the time I have left with you Helga…I hope to experience a lot of firsts with you." he said softly causing her to look up at him.

"Same here Arnold." she agreed curving a smile wishing this moment could last forever. She was going to spend all the time she had left with him no matter how much time that consisted of. She would be by his side until the end.


	4. Confession is Good for the Soul

**Chapter Three**

**Confession is Good for the Soul**

**Author's Note: **I actually think I'm going to turn this into a songfic and coincidentally I got the idea for this story because of Avril Lavigne's song "Keep Holding On". Enjoy chapter three!

A month of school had already passed for Arnold and Helga. Ms. Filler started coming by the boarding house three times a week to tutor them. Helga had made up the excuse that it would be better for Arnold if they held class at his home but in reality she had suggested it because she wanted to spend as much time away from home as possible.

Ms. Filler had assigned them a research paper dealing with haunted locations in Hillwood. They had to research "why" it was haunted, who could be haunting it, and the significance of the location. Ms. Filler had even promised them that if they could go to that location and dispel the mystery that they would each be given an A minus the paper.

"Do you want to do our project on the ghost bride or the headless cabbie?" Arnold suggested racking his brain for ideas. Helga was biting her bottom lip and twirling a strand of blond hair between her index finger and thumb.

"I guess that would be ultimatum since we're both familiar with the legends." Helga shrugged not really getting into the project. She seemed to be a million miles away at the moment.

"Would you like to take a break from studying and go on a walk?" he inquired shutting off his computer monitor.

"Yeah that sounds nice." she reverberated picking up her pink jacket and placing it around her shoulders for warmth. She seemed to light up at the idea of going on a walk, but he had no idea why.

"Anywhere special you want to go?" he probed, and she flashed him a toothy grin. "Yeah there's a place I want to go." she agreed tearing down out of the boarding house so fast he thought that the boogie man was after her.

He just shrugged to himself, chasing after her trying to keep up. He grabbed her hand pulling her back down to reality. She turned around meeting his puzzled jade pearls. She felt the heat rush into her cheeks, becoming flustered by the contact. She still didn't know what to "label" them because neither one of them had confessed to anything.

She felt a burning feeling in the back of her throat as she willed herself to speak, "Um I want to take you to a special place." she explained, and he just nodded as he followed her down the sidewalk to the bus stop. They both paid the fare, and he relished the silence, drinking in his surroundings.

She looked out the window refusing to make eye contact with him. She was afraid and almost felt embarrassed to be near him. He was getting too close, and Helga G. Pataki was no good with romance. She had reveled loving him from afar and not being in such close proximity to him. She couldn't handle all these meteoric emotions threatening to consume her at any moment. She felt jarred after the bus stopped, and he stood up allowing her to exit first.

She averted her gaze refusing to make eye contact as she stepped off the bus and onto the familiar asphalt. She felt like she had just come off of some cocaine high when her feet touched the ground. She kept feeling like her nine year old self again ready to take flight into his arms. She shook her head trying to snap out of her euphoria when he said her name.

"Helga where are we going exactly?" he blinked, and she just smiled taken aback by his boyish charm. She was lovesick! The boy could say her name and it made her swoon.

"Um this way." she replied trying to put a few feet between them. He followed closely behind her as they came to a special treatment clinic.

"Helga why are we coming here?" Arnold almost scoffed snarling his nose.

"Don't ask questions and just follow me Arnoldo!" she groaned rolling her eyes, and he just shrugged as he followed Helga into the clinic. The lady at the registration desk just nodded to them before pushing a button that open two double doors in front of them.

"Helga I don't-" but she merely growled at him not allowing him to say another word. He thought better of it, especially if he wanted to save his face from permanent damage. He ran a hand through his messy blond hair before they entered a recreational hall full of young adults. Some were in wheelchairs, some were playing basketball, others were playing pool, and some were playing cards at random tables.

"Helgie!" an unfamiliar voice called out, and he turned around to hear Helga squeal with delight. A tall muscular guy covered in tattoos that reminded him of Chris

Daughtry had her captured in a bear hug. He'd never heard her laugh like that before, and he felt a pang of jealousy shoot through his chest.

"Helgie who's your little friend?" the guy laughed warmly placing her back on the ground gently.

"This is Arnold Shortman my friend from school." Helga retorted never being comfortable with formalities.

"Shortman! I like it! The names Micah Townsend!" the guy laughed trapping him in a firm handshake.

"Nice to meet you Micah." Arnold returned as gentlemanly as possible but in reality he wanted to rip his larynx out.

He tried to spot Helga, but she had already left him to play pool with a group of other guys. He had never seen her act so chummy with anyone in all his life.

"Arnold would you like a drink?" Micah offered tossing him a Yahoo! Soda from a cooler.

"Yeah thanks." Arnold nodded popping open the tab and guzzling down the chocolate mixture.

"Hey man slow down!" he laughed patting a seat at the table he was setting at. Arnold reluctantly sat down trying to be as civil as possible.

"I take it that you and Helga are pretty good friends." he stated flatly watching her play racket ball with a group of other guys.

"Yeah Helgie is the little sister I never had." he remarked leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah well I'm in love with her." he stated boldly causing Micah to nearly fall out of his chair.

"Woah man! That's great! Have you told her yet?" he sputtered trying to keep it together. Arnold's confession was completely random and had caught him off guard.

"Sorry I didn't mean to-" but Micah just shook his head and laughed. "I could tell by the way you kept shooting me those daggers earlier! I thought you were going to tear into me after that hug."

"Sorry I mean I guess I just thought-"

"You thought I was in love with Helga I assume. Well sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not! For one she's way too young for me and for the record I'm in love with someone else." he assured him. Arnold sighed in relief at this revelation.

"I've never said it out loud before." he said shyly looking at the floor.

"It's okay man…but I think you should tell her how you feel. We're all given an amount of time before we die. Some of us are given many years and some of us aren't given but a few. It doesn't matter how much time we're given but how we spend that time. It's kind of like the master giving his three servants a set of talents. The first servant got ten, the second five, and the last got one. The master knew how much he could entrust with each one and yet the third servant was too lazy to even invest in the one talent he'd been given. The master was so angry that he cast him out. Time kind of works that way too. We're all called to use our time wisely just like the servants were all appointed to use their talents. We can squander all the time were given on futile things or really invest it into something meaningful." Micah stated wisely taking him aback.

"I guess I just want it to be the right time is all." Arnold sighed feeling the pressure pile up on his chest.

"There's no better time than right now man…You can't let something that precious get away because it will if you don't stake your claim on it." he countered, and Arnold just nodded wanting to change the subject.

"Who's that special girl you're in love with?" Arnold pined hoping he hadn't stepped on a nerve. He noticed the peaceful look now settled on his face.

"Cindy Romero was her name. We met my freshman year of high school at Hillwood Children's Hospital. She was battling her second wave of cancer. She had leukemia and had been diagnosed when she was eleven years old. We instantly bonded and became best friends. She could light up the room with her smile and always brought out the best in everyone around her. I don't think there wasn't a single soul who wasn't enraptured by her charm. I asked her out when we were fifteen, and she said yes-" he grinned causing Arnold to chuckle at Micah's childish enthusiasm.

"We fell head over heels in love. She was currently in remission and so was I. We dated for two years until the inevitable happened-" his gaze darkened as his dark brown eyes filled with bitter sorrow, but he continued.

"She relapsed, and the leukemia was back more aggressive than ever. The doctors said she wasn't responding to treatments and that there was nothing more that they could do for her. They gave her three months to live. She begged me to leave, but I refused. We made these bucket lists when we were younger, and she'd told me dreamily that she wanted to get married on the beach. I asked her to marry me a week later and by the end of the month we said I do. She took my last name, and we spent two weeks in the Bahamas enjoying wedded bliss. We came home, and she passed away two days later in my arms. I'm glad I got to spend the few fleeting moments left of her life with her, but Arnold it wasn't enough. I wish I had gotten serious about our relationship way before she got sick again." he sighed putting his head in his hands.

Arnold patted his back gently, "You didn't know that she was going to have a relapse though. It wasn't your fault that she got sick again."

"I know and that's why I'm telling you that it's better to tell her how you feel sooner now than later. You may live to be a hundred, but you may not see tomorrow. You need to tell her what she means to you in this present moment because time is precious, and you don't want her to slip away from you. Cancer is a horrible unforgiving disease that robs you of everything you love. Don't wait until it's too late." he warned, and Arnold just nodded now noticing the turquoise butterfly tattoo that rested on Micah's shoulder. It said "In Memory of Cindy Townsend beginning with her birth and ending with her death date."

"Ready to go Arnoldo?" Helga questioned pulling him out of his surreal moment.

"Yeah sure if you are." Arnold shrugged looking back to see if Micah was still around, but he had left and was playing tennis with some other girl.

"I totally creamed Matthew and Luke at racket ball." she snickered as they got on the bus.

"Thanks for bringing me here today Helga…I'd like to come back again if that's okay." he stated nervously.

"Sure thing football head." Helga shrugged as they made their way back the boarding house. Arnold reflected on all the things Micah Townsend had told him. He hadn't meant to confess his feelings for Helga to a complete stranger, but he felt like Micah had given him the pushed he'd needed to tell her how he felt. He knew he might not have a decade to tell her how he really felt, but he did have today.

They walked silently back into his room, and she plopped down on his bed opening her notebook before gazing up at him.

"Well what's it going to be Ghost bride or headless cabbie?" she inquired referring to their school project, but he ignored her. He got on the bed and tossed her notebook onto the floor.

"What do you think your-" she was about to protest before he crushed his lips against hers. She moaned softly into his mouth as her body responded to his rapturous kiss. She pulled him down on top of her running her fingers through his flaxen hair.

"Helga I'm in love with you." he whispered roughly in her ear causing her to push him back.

"What did you just say football head!?" she demanded trying to get away from him, but he pinned her back down.

"I'm in love with you Helga G. Pataki. I didn't realize it until today, but I'm certain that I'm madly in love with you." he hissed attacking her lips again. He felt her crumble beneath him as she gave into the urgency of his kiss.

"I'm in love with you too!" she muttered breaking the kiss. She panted beneath him trying to catch her breath.

"How long?" he breathed trying to recompose himself.

"Since we were three!" she exclaimed snaking her arms around his neck pulling him into another heated kiss. Arnold wasn't entirely sure if the cancer would be the death of him or a fiery spitball named Helga Pataki.

"Be my girlfriend then." he commanded breaking the kiss.

"Absolutely." she grinned making him kiss her again.

Helga's pink notebook stayed on the floor the rest of the evening, and the project was put off for another day. Ms. Filler wasn't going to be happy when she returned tomorrow and found out they hadn't even tackled the project and it was going to be even harder to convince her that they just didn't have time to work on it without informing her that they were a little too busy tackling each other to worry with a silly school project.

**A/An: The talents story is taken from the Bible in the book of Matthew referring to the "Parable of the Talents" I think it's Matthew chapter 25. Well there you have it! A teenage heart struck confession! I love fluff by the way and this rating is going up to Teen.**


	5. Part One: The Chemo Queen

**Chapter Four**

**Part One: The Chemo Queen**

**Author's Note: **Sorry for not updating in awhile! This chapter goes into some of Helga's struggles with her cancer. This chapter is also divided into two parts, so stay tuned for part two very soon! Enjoy!

Helga felt like she was dying. She knew this feeling all to well. She hovered over the "great" porcelain throne emitting another sacrifice of Miriam's leftover meatloaf from last night's dinner. Arnold would be coming to pick her up soon, and she wasn't even ready. She felt flush and just wanted to crawl back in her bed. They were supposed to be making their way over to Rhonda's party around eight. Tonight would be her most anticipated party of the year, and she had a habit of throwing plenty of them.

Miriam and Bob had left her home alone as _usual_ to go and take Olga's two children trick-or-treating. Alice and Ashton Copeland were Olga and Chandler's twins. She remembered when her sister had dropped out of college because she had gotten "knocked up". Bob had made a big deal about it and three months later Olga and Chandler had quickly tied the knot. She remembered her six month pregnant sister wobble down the aisle in a "white" wedding gown. She had hoped Bob and Miriam would've chastised Olga about her aberration, but they hadn't. Alice and Ashton already knew three languages fluently and would probably zip on into second grade when they started school.

They would both be "golden" children like her sister. Helga knew they already were because as the days passed she began to fall even more into the shadows. She wondered sometimes if her "parents" even remembered that had cancer.

She sighed flushing the commode for the umpteenth time before grabbing her toothbrush. She slapped some mint flavored toothpaste and began to wash the ugly taste out of her mouth. Arnold would be at her house in less than an hour, and she had to get ready. She was having treatment almost everyday now to reduce the size of her expanding tumor. She felt a lot sicker from the stronger drug but her doctor had assured her that it would zap the tumor faster.

She had failed to inform _him _of this because she didn't need him worrying about her. He was the only one who seemed to worry about her these days, but he had enough worries of his own without having to deal with her.

She turned the shower on and got in. She turned on the water as hot as she could stand it hoping that it would scald away her defect. She knew it was a silly thought but being blistered from the hot water made her feel pure from the disease she was. Helga felt like a leaper and an outcast from her family. She might as well have died. They would never notice anyway.

She stepped out of the shower and looked in the mirror at the visible red marks that had kissed her skin. She towel dried her hair and threw it in a messy bun. She gazed at her thin shoulders and small breast. She had lost almost twenty pounds from the treatments and was having trouble just maintaining a meager one hundred pounds. She sighed and slipped on her small black bra that began to droop slightly around her small A-cup. She tightened the back strap to the very first clasp. She didn't even know why she even bothered wearing one because it wasn't like anyone would notice if she didn't. She walked into her bedroom and found the dark burgundy dress she was wearing. She slipped into the size zero gown and grabbed a strappy pair of black heels. The dress had a high neckline but dipped lower down her back. Rhonda's "theme" for this years party was ball gown attire.

Helga walked in front of her large vanity and plucked a few stray hairs adorning her eyebrows. She had waxed it during sixth grade after a mean comment from an eighth grade boy. She had changed her entire wardrobe thanks to Olga. She had informed her that since she would be starting middle school the following year that she needed to start "dressing" like a young lady. She had thrown away her pink dresses and had began wearing tight fitting jeans and baby doll tees.

She heard the doorbell ring as she finished applying her smoky grey eye shadow. She felt her heart beat with anticipation as she made it down the stairs. Helga smiled opening the door to see him standing there with an armful of roses. He was wearing a black suit and tie with ratty black converse.

"Wow Helga you look amazing!" Arnold gushed looking her up and down.

"Thanks Arnoldo! You don't look all that bad yourself!" she winked inviting him to come inside.

"Oh these are for you!" he blushed handing her the roses. She took them gingerly into her arms and closed her eyes, taking in the alluring fragrance.

"They're beautiful…Thank you Arnold." she said giving him a sincere smile that made his heart skip a beat. He and Helga had only been dating about a month, and she still managed to take his breath away. He loved her affectionate "termsofendearment" for him, but he loved it even more when she actually said his name.

She wasn't his elementary school arch rival in that moment. She was purely Helga G. Pataki the girl he could pass the by hours with. He watched as she placed the flowers in a vase and put them on the counter. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to his chest. He could feel her soft breath graze his neck causing his teenage hormones to rage without restraint.

He hadn't realized how desirable Helga was to him until they had began dating. He'd always thought she was pretty in her "own" way but since he'd had that talk with Micah things had changed. She watched his gaze darken slightly tinged with lust. She gulped back the bile in her throat as he dusted the naked skin on her back with his soft fingertips. She felt her breath hitch in her throat as he pulled her closer, crushing his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck when he deepened the kiss. She felt like she floating when she felt him hoist her into his arms. Their passionate moment only lasted a few minutes until a loud obnoxious beeping could be heard.

"What is that freaking noise about!?" Helga growled upset by their abrupt intermission.

"Oh I forgot to mention that Gerald is driving us to the party." Arnold blushed scratching the back of his head with uncertainty.

"When did Geraldo get his license?" Helga asked skeptically raising a brow. She looked at him dangerously causing his pulse to rise. He felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he looked at her beautiful hair spilling out of her bun. He had the urge to pull it down and let it cascade around her shoulders until he heard the excessive beeping again.

"Um he didn't exactly get his license but he has his permit and his parents are out of town for the weekend so-"but before he could finish his thought, she had cut him off.

Helga snickered, "Well it looks like you're living on the edge a little bit eh football head?"

"Yeah I guess you could say that." he grinned as he took her hand and led her down the steps. He opened the car door for her, and she welcomed the sounds of some cheesy rapper she'd heard on the radio.

"What up Pataki?" Gerald greeted her casually lowering his dark sunglasses.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses Geraldo? The sun went down hours ago!" she scoffed feeling like she was in the presence of true idiocy.

"Konnichiwa Helga!" a familiar Japanese voice greeted her from the front seat. She knew Phoebe was going to the party, but she had no idea that she'd be accompanying them.

"What are you doing here Pheebs?" Helga quizzed feeling Arnold shift in the seat beside her buckling up.

"Phoebe here is my date for the party…Right babe?" Gerald grinned causing Helga to stick her tongue out in mock disgust. She heard Arnold chortle lightly before putting his arm around her. He pulled her close, and she gently laid her head on his shoulder.

"Yes Gerald is my date." Phoebe giggled girlishly before Gerald pulled away from the curb. She hadn't seen Phoebe so psyched since she'd won tickets to see Ronnie Matthews back in the fourth grade.

The drive to the party was fairly quiet with a little bit of small talk. Gerald and Phoebe filled them in on the usual happenings at Hillwood High. Stinky and Lila were dating which wasn't a big surprise. Sid had asked Rhonda out, but she had turned him down because she apparently had an "exclusive" boyfriend who went to a snazzy private school uptown. The first two months of school had passed by fairly uneventful for anyone and the hottest gossip on the market was about _The Notebook _romance they were sharing. Helga just rolled her eyes at the "big" announcement. She wasn't about to let anyone use _their _romance as a way to make someone else _famous._

"Oh goody we're here." Helga clipped when Gerald parked the car in the Lloyd's enormous yard. Cars were parked everywhere, and Helga knew that most of them would be there way up until the wee morning hours.

"Are you ready to go?" Arnold whispered squeezing her hand lightly. She sighed giving him one of her rare heart stopping smiles.

"Let's do this." she retorted taking his hand and stepping out of the car. She felt like she was about to march right into the lion's den, but she was the huntress, and she was not going to be hunted.


	6. Hiatus

**Hiatus**

**I just want everyone to know I'm going to be on a long hiatus from most of my fanfics for awhile. I'll be updating periodically like each of them twice a month hopefully but for awhile it may just be once a month. I apologize for this, but I do intend to finish all of them in an orderly fashion! Please be patient with me.**

**Anjyu**


	7. The Chemo Queen: Part Two

**Chapter Five**

**The Chemo Queen: Part Two**

**Author's Note: **I was looking over my HA stories, and I realized this one was probably my most neglected. I apologize to all of you who have been anticipating an update. I'm on a bit of a hiatus but that doesn't mean I'm not going to update my stories! They just won't be as frequent. Please review!

Helga clung to Arnold's hand for security as they entered the Lloyd mansion. The lights were off with the glimmer of strobe lights bouncing off the wall, accompanied by the thumping of loud music. Arnold pressed through the crowd of people into the kitchen. Helga was thankful for the change of atmosphere, but she wasn't prepared for what happened next.

"Well if it isn't the golden couple." a dark haired girl with a cigarette in her hand remarked. Helga blinked for a moment about to launch back with some witty comeback when she realized Rhonda Lloyd was standing right in front of her.

"Rhonda!?" Arnold blinked taking in her very distinct appearance. Rhonda who always sported shorter hair now lengthened it with some kind of extensions. She was also smoking a cigarette which wasn't that unusual to Helga because it probably had something to do with social standing. Rhonda was wearing a tightly fitting crimson ball gown.

"In the flesh Shortman." she grinned like a cat circling them like she was going to have them for dinner. Helga didn't appreciate the fact that she was being sized up like a morsel.

"Take a picture Rhonda! It'll last longer!" Helga shot back, but Rhonda stopped and grabbed Helga by the arm pulling her closer. Arnold was awestruck and was about to object, but he couldn't stop watching the lion or the antelope.

"Helga I had heard the rumors, but I wasn't sure if they were true." Rhonda licked her lips, tearing Helga's hair out of it's bun and pulling on it slightly. Arnold gasped when the hair atop her head pooled around her feet.

Arnold was astounded when he seen her beautiful golden waves settled on the floor. He was even more shocked when he noticed the burnt looking blond fuzz that was attempting to grow back like tiny shoots of flowers. Helga was frozen unable to speak, but Rhonda just took a large draw on her cigarette and laughed.

"How does it feel Pataki? This is for all those times you bullied me back in elementary school." she snickered kicking the wig with her foot.

Arnold was so flabbergasted that he didn't know what to do when Helga dashed out of the room in tears. He stared heavily at Rhonda and gave her a detestable look. "I hope you're happy!" he growled picking up the wig and following after Helga.

"I was just trying to help you Arnold! She's a fake, and you saw that!" Rhonda pointed out grabbing him by the collar, pulling him closer. He felt like he was looking into the eyes of a serpent. He pulled away like he'd been bitten.

"No Rhonda the only fake one here is you!" he growled stomping out of the kitchen. He had to find Helga and get them out of here. He noticed Harold and Sid standing nearby with a glazed look in their eyes.

He stepped in front of the pair clearly frustrated and in a hurry, "Hey have you guys seen Helga?"

"Hey man! What's up?" Sid greeted him clearly in another world from the looks of his blood shot eyes.

"Want a drag?" Harold giggled goofily handing him the funny looking cigarette.

"Um not today guys! I just need to find Helga!" He sighed pushing the both of them out of the way and making a run for the stairs. He could only hope he was right about this. Arnold dashed up the stairs in search of his beloved. He felt the blood thumping in his ears as he searched the many room in the Lloyd mansion. He finally came to the last door of the main hallway on the right about to give up hope. He opened the door and that's when he heard her soft wailing.

He walked over to the edge of the queen size bed and sat down. "Just go away!' she moaned, but he only scooted closer to her. He lifted up her frail body with ease and sat her on his lap. She didn't object but refused to look him in the eye.

"I'm hideous! Don't look at me!" she sobbed shielding her face with her arm. He placed her hands gently by her sides and caught a tear under her frothy blue eyes with his thumb.

"Helga why did you hide this from me?" he inquired pointing to the blond wig he was holding in his right hand.

"Because I'm hideous without my hair Arnold! It's the only thing that makes me pretty." she said sheepishly still refusing to make eye contact. He placed his hand under her chin and forced her to meet his gaze.

"No Helga…Girls who act like Rhonda are ugly, but you you're breathtaking." he whispered huskily causing her breath to hitch in her throat.

"You're just saying that…" she protested as he etched closer pressing his lips against her own. He pulled her closer into his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She moaned softly into his mouth, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck.

He pulled her back onto the bed, running his hands over the contours of her body, leaving her in want when he suddenly stopped.

"Why did you stop for Arnold!?" she huffed clearly frustrated by the lack of contact.

"Helga I want you to understand something okay?" he retorted, and she just nodded giving him an apprehensive look.

"I want to make love to you but not here…I want the timing to be perfect. You're the most beautiful woman in the world to me, and I want to worship every inch of your body. Do you understand me?" he admitted sending a chill up her spine.

"You really want me like that?" she inquired biting her lip, thinking it was too good to be true.

"I want you more than you'll ever know…I just want the moment to be perfect for both of us." he replied sending her heart soaring.

"All right Arnold…I want that special moment to be with you as well." she said biting her lip nervously. He saw a small blush etch across her face. He smiled and kissed her again gently.

"Let's get out of here." he told her, handing her the wig.

"Yes let's blow this joint!" Helga complied smoothing out her dress and putting her wig back on.

"Oh and Helga?" Arnold gained her attention once more.

"Yes Arnold?"

"Don't wear that thing when we're alone together okay? You look beautiful without it." he winked making her feel like the most beautiful woman on Earth. Oh how that boy could make her swoon!

**A/AN: Yes Rhonda did an evil thing, but I did enjoy this very tender moment between Arnold and Helga! Pleease review and tell me what you think!**


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